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New Music Festival Set for Shelby Farms

More than 20,000 music fans are expected to descend on Shelby Farms over two days in October for the inaugural MEMPHO music festival, a new event bringing together acts like Cage The Elephant, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, and more.

The event is planned for Oct. 6 and 7.

Other featured acts include Cold War Kids, Bishop Briggs, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, and local acts like Steve Cropper & Friends and Booker T Presents: A Stax Revue. Memphis native and Big River Presents founder and CEO Diego Winegardner is the promoter behind MEMPHO. Keyboardist Chuck Leavell – who’s played with everyone from the Rolling Stones to Eric Clapton – is a special adviser to the festival.

Tickets go on sale July 14 at 10 a.m. A limited early bird pre-sale is set for July 13 at 10 a.m.

Adams Keegan Expands Into Nashville Market

Adams Keegan, a national managed human resources services firm based in Memphis, is expanding into the Nashville market.

The company, which also operates an office in Atlanta, says the Nashville expansion follows years of continuous growth and a string of executive-level promotions at its Memphis headquarters.

“We are proud to have experienced tremendous growth over the years and feel that this move is not only strategic, but also a logical choice for the future of our company,” said Adams Keegan president and CEO Jay Keegan in a written statement.

Adams Keegan chose Nashville for its new office based on its past success in Atlanta.

Though the firm has clients in all 50 states, it says Atlanta has generated a “significant amount of business” for the company.

Having clients and potential business opportunities already in and around Nashville, the company says it wanted to expand its presence in the area.

The Nashville office will be led by Brian Evans, director of business development.

– Daily News staff

Financing Set for New TAG Truck Center

Financing has been completed for the new TAG Truck Center facility that will be located where the former Mall of Memphis once stood at 4451 American Way.

The new 164,000-square-foot commercial truck center and technician training facility is under construction.

The project is being financed through Stonehenge Capital, in partnership with McCormack Baron Salazar and SunTrust Community Capital, according to a release issued Thursday, July 6.

The project will also tap the Federal New Markets Tax Credits program, which provides tax credits in exchange for qualified investments in economically distressed areas.

TAG collaborated with the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County (EDGE) to revive the abandoned mall site, which has been vacant since 2003, and allow the company to consolidate its five, outdated existing facilities into a single full-service operation.

The new center will add 205 full-time jobs to the area, in addition to housing a full-service body shop, retail store, distribution center and technician training facility.

“Redeveloping this long-vacant property marks a major step forward for our community, and we are thrilled to play a role in providing new jobs and economic opportunities for hundreds of Tennesseans,” said TAG co-founder and CFO Gary Dodson.

“We are also grateful to the Economic Development Growth Engine board for providing the expertise and assistance needed to move this project forward,” Dodson said.

The TAG Truck Center will also offer new education and job training opportunities in Memphis by expanding its TAG Technical Institute, an internal technician training school for commercial truck repair.

– Patrick Lantrip

October ACT Retake Day Offered to Rising Seniors

The Tennessee Department of Education is expanding its ACT Senior Retake Day in October to include all rising seniors in Tennessee public high schools.

Public school districts across the state can offer the retake of the college entrance exam on Oct. 3 and Oct. 17 and students are not required to sign up in advance.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen says Tennessee is the first state to offer another chance at the ACT to all public high school seniors.

The retake was first offered in October 2016, but only to students who took the ACT as juniors.

Of those who took the test last year, nearly 40 percent increased their overall score – an additional 1,300 students earned a composite score of 21 or higher, which made them eligible for $21 million in additional HOPE scholarship funds.

– Bill Dries

Brooks Raises $5 Million In Centennial Campaign

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art raised $5 million during its yearlong centennial celebration.

The museum announced the fundraising total Thursday, July 6.

The fundraising effort included a challenge grant by the Hyde Family Foundations for $1 million announced a year before the centennial.

The Hyde foundations also put up another challenge grant of $800,000 this year.

“As the oldest, largest and only art museum dedicated to global art in the entire region, we are committed to continuing to make art experiences accessible to all,” said Deborah Craddock, president of the Brooks board of trustees.

The centennial observances began in May as the museum debuted a renovation of the museum and kicked off a series of changing art installations – one in the museum rotunda and the other in the museum plaza.

– Bill Dries

Saturday Legal Aid Clinic To Celebrate 10 Years

A ceremony and reception will be held Saturday, July 8, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2nd Saturday Legal Aid Clinic, or 2SLAC, serving the Memphis community.

The event will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave.

Retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice M. Holder and current Justice Holly M. Kirby will both speak. Proclamations from Gov. Bill Haslam, U.S. Rep. David Kustoff, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell will also be a presented.

Since 2007, the Memphis Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee and Memphis Area Legal Services Inc. have collaborated with other organizations to provide free legal assistance to anyone in need of it. As titled, the clinic is held the second Saturday of every month at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.

An average of 80 to 100 people are served at each clinic, 10,000 since its inception. A variety of legal issues are handled, such as advanced directives, family law, landlord-tenant, bankruptcy and more.

2SLAC also serves a wide spectrum of clients as well; no one seeking legal help is turned away.

“It is the noblest endeavor of the Memphis Bar Association,” said attorney David Cook. “I don’t know of anything like it anywhere in the country. It is the best-kept secret in the community.”

Along with the ATJ committee and MALS, law firms and other organizations sponsor the monthly clinic and encourage their attorneys to serve, but anyone in the legal community is welcome to volunteer at the clinics.

More information about 2SLAC and other community resources can be found at memphisbar.org/public-resources/free-legal-advice.

– Don Wade

U of M Pulls Permit For New 3-D Print Lab

The University of Memphis has filed a building permit application with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement to renovate existing lab space into a new 3-D printing facility.

The $580,000 permit application lists braganza design/ GROUP as the architect and the Tennessee Board of Regents as the owner.

The U of M currently operates its two 3-D printers out of the McWherter Library Learning Common on the east side of campus.

– Patrick Lantrip

Bruster’s Ice Cream To Open on Highland Strip

The Highland Strip will soon be home to a tasty new tenant.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream plans to move into the 1,300-square-foot space at 571 Highland St., with construction set to begin soon and an expected opening date late this year, according to Loeb Properties Inc.

The deal was brokered by Aaron Petree, vice president of brokerage for Loeb Properties, and Harold Blockman of Keller Williams Realty for Bruster’s.

“Basically I pushed them to this location because they have the size and space, and I think what Loeb is doing there is tremendous,” Blockman said. “It’s really come around and there are a lot of good things going on here."

Founded in 1989 by Bruce Reed, Bruster’s is known for its small-batch artisan ice cream made in-house daily. The chain now has roughly 200 independently operated locations in the U.S., South Korea and Guyana.

Blockman said that choosing a location with ample foot traffic and parking was important for the company’s first franchise in Memphis.

Bruster’s announced last September that Garosa Partners LLC had signed a franchise agreement for three locations in the Memphis area, along with locations in Jackson, Tennessee, and Tupelo and Oxford, Mississippi.

Meanwhile, three spaces remain available on the Highland Strip. Among them is a former restaurant space that Petree said is being considered by a number of potential tenants.

“There are a lot of exciting new businesses opening up now on the Highland Strip to complement the area's sustaining businesses,” Petree said.

“Bruster's Real Ice Cream is a great fit for the families and students of the University District, and is the perfect complement for our other Highland Strip restaurants and retailers,” he said.

Last September, the Economic Development Growth Engine of Memphis and Shelby County approved the University Neighborhood Development Corp.’s request to establish a tax increment financing district, or TIF, that spans across 601 parcels within three square blocks of the Highland Strip.

The TIF funds are being used for streetscape improvements, including the addition of new street lights, signage, sidewalks, gutters, planters, utility work and traffic-slowing measures.

“Generally speaking, they want something on Highland Avenue, at least in the Strip area, where traffic really slows down because you want people to feel free that they can walk across the street,” EDGE president Reid Dulberger said at the time. “We believe all of these public improvements will spur private investment."

That seems to be happening, as Petree now says current energy and momentum in the area is transforming it into a cohesive entertainment district.

“The burgeoning nearby residential neighborhoods, filled with families and young professionals, plus the growth of on- and near-campus housing at the University of Memphis, along with other new commercial developments like Highland Row – plus the financial energy of the University District TIF – make the Strip extremely attractive to new businesses,”Petree added.

– Patrick Lantrip

East Memphis Office Building Sells for $7 Million

A 79,000-square-foot office building in East Memphis has switched hands in a multimillion-dollar deal.

The facility, which was 100 percent occupied at the time of the purchase, is situated on 3.3 acres on the west side of Ridge Lake Boulevard north of Poplar Avenue. The Shelby County Assessor of Property’s 2017 appraisal is $7.8 million.

Brian Califf and Elliot Embry with NAI Saig Co. represented the seller in the transaction. Califf said Faropoint plans to re-deploy the capital back into the Memphis market this year through new acquisitions.

Local Attorney Censured By State Supreme Court

Memphis attorney Samuel Jones has been publicly censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court following an allegation to the Board of Professional Responsibility earlier this year that he accepted fees from two clients in U.S. Bankruptcy Court without court approval and failed to deposit the fees into his trust account for the matter. He also was accused of missing filing deadlines.

A hearing panel found he violated the state’s rules of professional conduct involving competence, diligence, safekeeping of property, fairness to opposing counsel and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.

The Supreme Court entered the order against Jones on June 30. The censure is a rebuke and a warning. It does not affect Jones’ ability to practice law in any way.

– Bill Dries

Memphis Nonprofits to Get $1.7M in AmeriCorps Funds

Volunteer Tennessee, the governor-appointed commission on volunteerism and service, has been awarded more than $4 million in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service, with $1.7 million of that to go to Memphis nonprofits.

The $4 million awarded statewide will support 919 AmeriCorps members across the state to serve with 17 organizations, according to Volunteer Tennessee.

AmeriCorps members will tackle critical challenges in the state, including tutoring and mentoring children, supporting veterans and military families, providing health services, restoring the environment, responding to disasters, increasing economic opportunities, and recruiting and managing volunteers.

In addition, a no-cost grant was awarded to the Relay Graduate School of Education for the Relay New Teacher Pathway in Nashville and Memphis to support 80 AmeriCorps members.

At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be prepared and certified to serve as full-time teachers of record.

The Tennessee grants are among $532 million awarded nationwide. In addition, the Corporation for National and Community Service will make available more than $4.4 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants.

After completing a full term of service, AmeriCorps members receive an award of $5,815 they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans.

– Daily News staff

U of M Awarded $3.2M For Disaster Resilience

A multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers led by the University of Memphis has been awarded a $3.2 million grant from the 2015 HUD National Disaster Resilience Competition.

The team of scientists will map and assess damage from future floods and earthquakes in Lake, Dyer, Lauderdale and Madison counties in West Tennessee.

The effort will also include focused public education and community outreach activities.

The U of M grant is part of the $44 million Rural by Nature award to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to address areas of the state that were heavily impacted by the historic 2011 floods and are also at risk from damage by earthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

Most Rural by Nature funds will address major infrastructure upgrades in these communities, including the rehabilitation of aging wastewater treatment plants.

The U of M work will provide a toolkit for these communities to plan and prioritize infrastructure upgrades, prepare and respond to future disasters, and submit data-driven funding requests for disaster mitigation.

The team includes Vanderbilt University, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium.

“This important work will assist the state in increasing disaster resilience in some of West Tennessee’s most vulnerable rural communities through applied research and education,” said University of Memphis president M. David Rudd in a written statement.

– Daily News staff

UTHSC Faculty Members Win $1.9M Grant for Project

Two University of Tennessee Health Science Center faculty members have won a grant of about $1.9 million for the funding of a database and open-source software project for web-based genetics research.

The project, called GeneNetwork, provides researchers with data access and a sophisticated set of online tools used to study genetic differences and evaluate disease risk in model organisms and human cohorts.

GeneNetwork was launched in 2001 as part of a National Institutes of Health Human Brain Project grant and was one of the first websites designed for gene mapping. This new NIH grant supports major upgrades for the software infrastructure for gene mapping and analysis.

The system is open source, and both the code and data is available to users. The system enables direct access to experimental data and statistical analysis tools to a wide range of users – from students and teachers to research scientists.

– Andy Meek

Months Later, No Decision On Miss. Online Tax Plan

Months after Mississippi’s top tax official proposed requiring large online sellers to collect taxes on internet sales, he still hasn’t enacted the rule.

Kathy Waterbury, a spokeswoman for Revenue Commissioner Herb Frierson, said Wednesday that Frierson is still considering the proposal.

Frierson has acknowledged the rule would directly challenge U.S. Supreme Court rulings forbidding states from requiring tax collections by companies without in-state locations. He has said the move aims to spark court reconsideration of past rulings.

The rule could have been enacted as early as March, following a February hearing where opponents questioned whether Frierson had the power to make a rule contradicting federal law.

On Feb. 1, Amazon.com started collecting use taxes voluntarily in Mississippi, an amount that could be worth $15 million to $30 million a year.

– The Associated Press

Sprouts’ East Memphis Store to Open July 12

Sprouts Farmers Market is set to open its fifth Tennessee store July 12 at 576 S. Perkins Road in East Memphis.

The company is hosting a ribbon-cutting that day at 7 a.m. and is inviting the public to tour the store and shop. The first 200 shoppers in line will get 20 percent off their purchase.

Muffins and coffee samples will be served to everyone in line before the doors open, and upon checkout every 15th shopper will get a coupon book.

A few grand opening weekend deals are also in the works. The first 200 customers to make a purchase July 15 will get a coupon booklet for five free deli items. And on July 16, upon checkout every 15th customer will get a coupon for $5 off a purchase of more than $15 to use on their next visit.

The new East Memphis Sprouts will donate unsold and edible groceries to Mid-South Food Bank through the grocer’s Food Rescue program. In 2016, Sprouts stores and distribution centers donated more than 19 million pounds of product through the Food Rescue program, which is equivalent to 15 million meals.

– Andy Meek

Renasant, Metropolitan Banks Complete Merger

The combined company now has about $10 billion in total assets, with more than 175 banking, mortgage, wealth management, investment and insurance offices throughout Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. As of March 31, Metropolitan had about $1.2 billion in assets, $932 million in loans and $945 million in deposits.

Renasant chairman and CEO E. Robinson McGraw said in a statement the merger will expand Renasant’s market share, earnings growth and profitability.

Grizzlies Sign McLemore To Two-Year Contract

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed unrestricted free agent guard Ben McLemore to a two-year deal worth $10.7 million, according to ESPN.

McLemore, 24, is a 6-foot-6 guard. He has played the last four seasons for the Sacramento Kings. Three seasons ago, he averaged a career-high 12.1 points per game. Last season, he averaged 8.1 points per game and shot a career-best 38.2 percent from 3-point range.

In 293 career games, McLemore has made 216 starts and averaged 9.4 points per game. He played one year at the University of Kansas before the Kings used the seventh overall pick to take him in the 2013 NBA Draft.

The signing of McLemore, and the earlier re-signing of guard Wayne Selden, calls into question the future of unrestricted free agent wing Tony Allen. After this season ended, Allen, who made $5.5 million, said he would like to remain in Memphis, adding, “I ain’t trying to break the bank.”

– Don Wade

Rep. Camper To Lead National Organization

State Representative Karen Camper of Memphis is the new president of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women.

The Memphis Democrat was elected to the post at a weekend convention in Nashville.

NOBEL Women is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1985 to increase and promote the presence of black women in government. It includes women currently holding elected legislative office as well as former elected and appointed officials.

Camper was elected to the state House in 2008.

State Rep. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis was re-elected financial secretary of NOBEL Women at the Nashville gathering.

– Bill Dries

Rhodes Improvements On Track for Fall

Rhodes College is readying its new, 55,000-square-foot new science facility to open this fall, one of several construction projects underway on the Rhodes campus.

Robertson Hall will house four biology faculty and two chemistry faculty, along with six teaching labs, five research labs and two classrooms. The facility is named for 1933 Rhodes graduate Lola Robertson and 1929 graduate Charles Robertson Sr. in appreciation of the generosity of Patricia and Charles Robertson Jr.

Briggs Hall, formerly the Student Center, will reopen in August as the new home for computer science studies after a comprehensive renovation. The building will house five faculty offices, six computer labs, two research labs and three classrooms. The main floor also includes the Spence Wilson Commons, which includes the Spence Wilson Room for meetings and a lobby at its entrance.

The improvements come amid Rhodes being named the No. 1 Most Beautiful Campus in The Princeton Review’s The Best 381 Colleges, 2017 edition.

Other projects that are ongoing as Rhodes prepares for the coming academic year include upgrades of two residence halls to improve energy efficiency and comfort, and construction of the Bill and Carole Troutt Quadrangle.

Rhodes also is recovering from recent storms that hit the Mid-South, causing widespread power outages and damage in many areas of Memphis.

The steeple on the McNeill Concert Hall, 613 University St., suffered “significant damage” from strong winds and an apparent lightning strike, according to the college, which plans to hire contractors in the coming weeks to assess the extent of the damage and whether the steeple is structurally sound.

In addition, several buildings sustained minor roof damage, 12 trees were downed and two sections of perimeter fence were crumpled by fallen trees. Rhodes says it plans to replace the trees this fall.

– Daily News staff

Redbirds Pitcher Chosen For SiriusXM Futures Game

Memphis Redbirds starting pitcher Jack Flaherty has been selected to represent the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2017 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which takes place Sunday, July 9, as part of Major League Baseball All-Star Weekend festivities in Miami.

Flaherty, who will represent the U.S. Team in the showcase, follows 2016 selections Carson Kelly (U.S.) and Alex Reyes (World) playing for the Redbirds at the time the picks were made.

Flaherty is the 15th Redbird to be named to the game.

The right-hander, who made his Triple-A debut on June 2, has started five times for Memphis and is 1-1 with a 4.33 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 27.0 innings.

Prior to his promotion, he was 7-2 with a 1.42 ERA in 10 starts for Double-A Springfield, where opponents were hitting just .205 against him.

He was named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April after going 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA in five starts for Springfield, with 35 strikeouts in 32.1 innings of work.

Flaherty ranks as the No. 5 Cardinals’ prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. 11 prospect by Baseball America.

The Futures Game will be televised on MLB Network beginning at 3 p.m. Central time.

– Don Wade

UWT Logistics Renews Lease in Pilot Center

UWT Logistics will renew its 100,000-square-foot lease in the Pilot Distribution Center located at 4221 Pilot Drive in Southeast Memphis.

The 600,000-square-foot Pilot Distribution Center sits on more than 17 acres near the Lamar Avenue corridor in Southeast Memphis.

– Patrick Lantrip

First Tennessee Scores High Marks for Reputation

A new report from the industry publication American Banker ranks First Tennessee Bank at No. 5 on a list of U.S. banks sorted by reputation.

First Tennessee ranked No. 2 for its reputation with customers; for its reputation among non-customers, First Tennessee comes in at No. 6.

The eighth annual Bank Reputation Survey was conducted by the Reputation Institute and included Federal Reserve banks based on asset size and deposits plus key regional and non-traditional banks. More than 12,000 individual ratings were collected from customers or non-customers familiar with the companies they rated.

– Andy Meek

Charter Schools Act Became Law July 1

Senate Bill 1197, called the Tennessee High-Quality Charter Schools Act, became law on Saturday, July 1.

The act enhances the relationship between charter authorizers and charter schools, increases accountability and aligns charter practices in Tennessee with national best practices, according to the bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown.

It authorizes a 3 percent per-pupil increase in the funding authorizer fee, which is capped at $35,000 per school. The act also creates a $6 billion non-recurring facilities funding program available to charter schools to offset the costs many charter schools face by not having access to free buildings as traditional public schools do.

Kelsey said National Assessment of Educational Progress scores show charter schools are contributing to better educational outcomes.

“Tennessee has been the fastest improving state in the nation on our NAEP tests,” Kelsey said in a release. “Part of the reason for this success is the accessibility of charter schools in this state. It is important to not only have charter schools, but to have high-quality charter schools, and to do that we need high-quality charter school laws.”

He said the law was supported by both school districts and charter schools to help them work better together.

“It ensures that future charter schools in Tennessee will only be the highest quality charter schools,” he said. “Utilizing national best practices for authorization and ensuring underperforming schools are promptly closed will make Tennessee a leader in the quality of its charter schools.”

– Daily News staff

IP Donates $200,000 to RISE Foundation

Memphis-based International Paper, a longtime supporter of RISE Foundation, has made a $200,000 donation to support the nonprofit's Goal Card program, specifically designed to encourage academic excellence for students in the inner city.

The check was presented to RISE during its annual volunteer appreciation event, where coaches in the organization's Goal Card program were recognized for their commitment to

teaching students in grades 5-12 how to set and achieve academic, financial and life goals.

The program has 44 coaches from International Paper, which has supported the program since 2003, and 10 from The Partners Financial Group - MassMutual, which became involved in 2014.

"International Paper takes great pride in being a responsible global citizen," said Paul Blanchard, vice president, Supply Chain, Industrial Packaging at International Paper and a RISE Foundation board member. "If our communities do not thrive, our company cannot succeed. Supporting critical community needs, such as encouraging educational success through the Goal Card program, is important."

RISE helps transform the lives of low-income youth, adults and senior citizens in Memphis through financial literacy education and teaching them how to manage income, establish bank accounts, save money, monitor credit and more. Programs are built on the idea that families can achieve financial self-sufficiency when given the right tools and resources.

"This financial support means a great deal to RISE, funding the basics of our youth program," said RISE president and CEO Linda Williams. "There's truly not a price tag that can be placed on the volunteer hours and the emotional support that these coaches have dedicated to encouraging the students to display positive behavior inside and outside of the school setting."